One morning in 1890, a painting wrapped in brown paper appears on the steps of the National Gallery and causes a sensation. It-s clearly by Timothy Ponden-Hall, an artist whose paintings were celebrated and debated, not just for their beauty, but for the rumours behind them: his masterpieces were believed to immortalise the souls of their subjects.
But the shadowy explorer and artist has been thought dead for the last 50 years - so what does this new portrait mean? The gallery brings in renowned art historian Solomon Oak to investigate the painting as rumours swirl through the streets of London town.
In a bid to uncover the truth, Oak is assisted by an unlikely aid: his daughter Alice. A passionate but sheltered student, Alice has worldly desires which eclipse the life she-s expected to lead. Together they discover that exposing Ponden-Hall-s legacy will prove more controversial than they could ever have imagined for their family and Victorian society.
Set betwe
